Update from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting

Last week I attended the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting (ASAPS), which proved to be very exciting. Experienced doctors from across the country, including myself, lectured on various hot topics including fat grafting and the roles stem cells and acellular dermal products, such as Alloderm and Strattice, play in the procedure. My favorite talk was by Dr. Barry DiBernardo on Cellulaze, the new Cynosure device for long-term cellulite improvement. I also enjoyed Boston dermatologist Jeff Dover’s presentation on the amazing results of Bella Contour, a new body-contouring product. I had the pleasure of sharing my expertise on the skin tightening procedures Sciton, SkinTyte, and the new Ultra Shape as well as co-chairing a session on laser complications with Atlanta’s Dr. Foad Nahai. I also filmed segments for The Plastic Surgery Channel on laser resurfacing and cellulite. ASAPS further ignited my excitement for future innovation and advancements in plastic surgery. I have a number of upcoming meetings with companies interested in testing new products and am eager to see what this year holds for research.

Could Invisible Bra Set Off New Trend?

Cosmetically, women can achieve the appearance of perkier breasts through breast augmentation or breast lifts. A new product, which guarantees a long-term boost, may be something to watch out for.

Breform™ surgical breast support is a new system termed as the “invisible bra”. A polyester mesh material is inserted through surgically under the skin. Breform™ is placed under the epidermis of the breast and stitched to the layer of fat above the breast tissue.

The material, which is cone-shaped, looks like a bra and can enhance the shape of the breast without undergoing surgery. Reportedly, Breform™ feels completely natural and cannot be felt through the breast skin.

Breform™ is inserted under the skin via an incision around the nipple with the assistance of general anesthesia. Just as with any surgery around the nipple, there is the possibility of loss of sensation. Breform™ claims that any lost nipple sensation, however, should return within six months following insertion.

TopNews.co.uk reports that a Breform™ procedure, which is manufactured by Aspide Médical in St Etienne, France, costs and average of 5,900GPD—or $9,100. While Breform™ can be used as an alternative to breast reduction in certain patients; the benefits of the product can also be reaped if used in conjunction with augmentation and reduction.

So what is our take on the invisible bra? Breform™ may be beneficial to ensure optimum results and prevent future sagging in patients who have undergone breast augmentation or reduction. By itself, however, Breform™ does not seem to be worth the investment. Breform™ is currently only available in parts of Europe and Asia, however, it has already received national media attention in the U.S.

Appointment-Booking Site Gets Big Investments, Has Drawbacks

CNET recently reported some new information about a New York-based start-up called ZocDoc. ZocDoc is an online doctor and dentist appointment-booking site that allows consumers to schedule visits based on time, specialty, location, and insurance coverage—at not extra charge. ZocDoc is looking to expand its service area with a $15 million Series B venture round led by the Founders Fund along with
contributions from Khosla Ventures.

Currently, ZocDoc only services the New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Chicago metropolitan areas. The website is currently promoting a user vote to choose what their fifth city should be from different options including Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Expanding won’t be easy, however. The staff at ZocDoc will have to aggregate new doctors and advertisers, set up medical profiles that are customized to the existing search criteria and enable users to book appointments online. Considering this service is free for patients, positive feedback from doctors and advertisers is required to make the expansion a success.

ZocDoc’s ambitions have grabbed the attention of some big names in eCommerce. Their first round of investors included Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff as well as Bezos Expeditions—the firm run by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos. Khosla Ventures, who is investing for their second time
around, is run by Sun Microsystems founder Vinod Khosla. Khosla has been focusing a lot of attention lately on health care and clean technology.

The Founders Fund is another heavy hitter, with its principals including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and Napster co-founder, as well as Facebook, Inc. president, Sean Parker.

ZocDoc certainly has its benefits: book appointments from home, see doctor reviews, weeding out doctors by insurance plans accepted. However, how will this affect the plastic surgery industry if ever implemented? The ease of online booking might supersede the importance of having the patient discuss with with a patient coordinator prior to an in-office consultation. Deciding to undergo plastic surgery is a very personal decision, and taking the first step by book a consultation online is not the ideal way to go about it.

FDA to issue statement on illegal cosmetic surgery

From today's NY Times:

"Health department officials say there may be other cases that have gone unreported, since doctors are not legally obligated to report silicone poisoning or even death, and since silicone is hard to detect through X-rays or CT scans. The department was planning Thursday to send an advisory by e-mail and fax to thousands of doctors advising them to watch for silicone poisoning cases.

Nationally, reports of buttock enhancement using silicone and similar thick liquids have surfaced from the Northeast to Miami, and the Food and Drug Administration is also planning to issue a warning on the dangers of such practices, Siobhan DeLancey, a spokeswoman, said Thursday."

Dr. Jason Pozner

Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center

Sanctuary Plastic Surgery

Dr. David J. Goldberg

Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center

Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

For plastic surgery in Boca Raton, visit the new Sanctuary Plastic Surgery web site!

Our new website launched today and we are very excited about it.

Sanctuary Plastic Surgery


Let us know what you think!

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ